Being Cammy
by Lily Hanson
Summary: For some kids, making friends is not easy.
1. A Rough Day

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Dino Charge. This story is fan-made._

Video chat was better than nothing for keeping in touch with her friends, but it was not the same as having them present. The once aloof scientist now found herself missing the hustle and bustle of having the six Rangers running around her all day, driving her absolutely crazy.

Since the holidays, the Rangers had parted ways. Riley had spent a long time away from his brother and mother and away from his farm. He was needed to help with some of the chores and was more than happy to see his dog Rubik. From their talks, Kendall understood that Riley missed being in the city, where there was a lot more to keep him and his mind engaged. Kendall hoped this meant it wouldn't be long before he returned for a visit.

Tyler and Shelby were spending their time on the road in Tyler's endless search for his father. Their trip had already taken them out of state, and they were enjoying the adventure. However, Tyler was sad to say he had no leads in his father's disappearance. Right now, he was just wandering around, following the journal and hoping for the best.

As for Chase, he was back in New Zealand and really happy to be home with his family. He was spending a bunch of time with his mother and sister. Even better, his sister had forgiven him for taking off so suddenly shortly after their father's passing. Chase was determined more than ever to make up for lost time with her, and so spent most of his waking hours with her.

Admittedly, Kendall missed Chase the most, and not because their busy schedules and the huge time difference made it difficult to reach each other. She missed his company and the support he would lend her. She missed how he always knew how to help her, especially when she didn't know how to help herself. She also missed how he could find the fun in any situation. Without him, working at the museum was getting a bit boring.

But having her friends leave wasn't all bad. Their absence meant the world was safe. Still, Kendall's scans for alien life came up negative, which meant she could take a bit more time in her search for the energems. As well, she could spend a lot more time with Cammy and her parents and she was even in the beginning stages of planning a trip out of state to visit her brother. Her life felt like it was finally coming together, and that was only helped by the fact that Ivan and Koda had stuck around to help her with her work, providing her with friendly faces every day at the museum and people with which she could eat her lunch or spend time with after hours. Kendall had also reached out to a new neighbour: Heckyl. She had opened herself up to making new friends as an effort to show Cammy how the process worked. The little girl struggled in school to make some friends her age, and refused to even try. Kendall was a little reassured after Christmas, when Cammy and Anna had become the best of friends, proving Cammy was capable of fostering those friendships. Still, Cammy needed to make more of an effort. Kendall couldn't ask that of the little girl without doing so herself.

Heckyl was different from the people Kendall was used to spending time with, but she couldn't quite figure out why. He was charming and had a bit of a playful side, but there was also a part of him that seemed a little dangerous.

Kendall was intrigued by him, and anytime her curiosity got involved, Kendall couldn't help but discover more. Sometimes it led to amazing findings; other times she found herself travelling down the wrong path. She wasn't sure where Heckyl would take her, if she was honest, but making friends involved a certain level of risk.

"You have an amazing voice," Heckyl complimented her as they drove home from their night out. He had invited her to join him at the pub where he would often go to sing. Kendall had agreed to the night on the condition that she didn't have to get up on stage and make a fool of herself. Yet, somehow, she found herself letting her guard down, and when Heckyl asked her if she wanted to sing a duet with him, she agreed. A little part of her regretted getting so comfortable in front of him and in front of so many people, but she was still happy she had let loose a little. She had a good time.

"Thanks."

"You sing much?" he asked her. Kendall shook her head.

"Sometimes in the car. That's about it."

"Not in the shower?"

"Not really."

"Well, you should sing more often. You've got the voice," he said and turned left instead of right. Kendall frowned. She knew he was new to town, but they weren't too far from their building, he should have recognized the neighbourhood. Worry set in, as she started to realize she was still just getting to know Heckyl. There was no telling who he really was, and if he was worth having her trust.

"You uh..."

"Believe it or not, I've found a short cut," he told her, as though he knew right away she would question his odd turn. "It seems odd, but trust me."

Kendall nodded her head and let out a deep breath. She had to calm herself down. People weren't all bad. She had learned to trust the Rangers. She could learn to trust Heckyl.

-Dino-Charge-

At school the following morning, Cammy could feel her hands shaking. She tried to hide it from Mrs. Patterson and the rest of the class, but she was already certain they had noticed. Still, she reached into her bag, taking out the envelopes. Her mother had insisted she hand them out to her whole class, even though Cammy didn't want to. Still, in the short time since she had been adopted by the Fishers, Cammy had learned not to disobey Bella.

While the other students grabbed their books from their bags and walked into class, Cammy stood out in the hallway. She was scared, admittedly so, that these envelopes would encourage the other students in class to tease her. She was scared they would be mean and laugh at her attempt to invite them to the Dino Museum. She was certain they would laugh at the fact that for her ninth birthday, she wanted to have a party with dinosaur bones and fossils instead of with princesses and a fairy tales theme.

"Camille, are you ready?" Mrs. Patterson asked while standing by the door. Cammy pulled the envelopes out and nodded her head. Mrs. Patterson noticed what Cammy had a smiled. "Are those invitations for your birthday?"

There was poster in the class with all of the students' birthdays on it. Throughout the year, when one of her classmates had a birthday coming up, Mrs. Patterson would always ask them about it. She asked questions about what they had planned, what they were going to eat and do and what presents the birthday student was expecting from their friends and family. All the other students loved the attention. Cammy had been dreading it.

The fact was, she had no idea how to answer any of those questions. When she had been living with her mother, she got pancakes for breakfast, but that was about it. She would then be rushed in to school, her classmates would sing her happy birthday, and then that was it. By the time Cammy got home, her mother was often drunk. If there was a present, it was usually something cheap her mother had picked up at the dollar store because god-forbid she spend all her drinking money on a toy or game for her daughter.

So birthdays weren't a big deal to Cammy. At least, they hadn't been until this year. Her parents were excited to celebrate with her. They had plans to take her out to dinner and they had been asking her all month if there was anything she wanted for her birthday. Mr. Fisher had even offered to make Cammy a special birthday breakfast. Cammy requested waffles.

Cammy was thrilled to finally have a family on her birthday. She was excited to have a day with them where she got to do all the things she loved.

However, the party portion of her birthday scared her. She didn't know what the other kids would say or do, or if they even wanted to come to her party. If they did come, Cammy didn't know what a normal birthday party looked like. What if the other kids didn't have fun, or she had the wrong food served to them. What if they were all expecting vanilla cake and she had chocolate? Cammy had never thrown a birthday party before, nor had she ever attended one. She had been invited. But her mother was always too drunk to drive her over, and Cammy missed out.

This was too much pressure, but her parents insisted it would be fine. Bella had handed Cammy the invitations and told her to hand them out that day. It would give her classmates' parents enough time to RSVP.

"Camille, are those invitations?" Mrs. Patterson asked again. Cammy looked up, nodding her head worriedly. Mrs. Patterson smiled, "That's purr-fect! I'm sure the whole class will be excited to come to your party. Why don't we hand them out?"

Cammy gulped as Mrs. Patterson walked inside the class and clapped three times to catch her student's attention. After they clapped in return to show they were listening, the room fell silent. Mrs. Patterson gesture to Cammy, who was inside the class but standing near the door, invitations held tightly in her hands.

"Alright, friends, today Camille's got something very special for you all. As soon as she hands them out to you, I'd like you to put it in your homework books to take it home so that your parents can see it. Camille, would you like to tell your friends what you've got in your hand?"

Cammy gulped, "I'm having a party," she whispered. Mrs. Patterson shook her head.

"Louder, Camille. So everyone can hear you."

"I'm having a party," Cammy spoke and instantly looked around the room for the reactions of the others.

"Camille is having a claw-some birthday party," Mrs. Patterson continued, seeing Cammy was a little nervous. "And by the looks of it, everyone is invited. When Camille hands out the invitations, you'll put them in your homework books, that way, your parents know when and where the party is taking place. Camille, where is your birthday party going to be?"

"At the museum," Cammy muttered. Some of the boys seemed a little excited by this, which cheered her up a little bit, but then Cammy heard some chuckling and turned to the table where a couple girls were sitting.

"The museum, that's meow-nificient!" Mrs. Patterson smiled, shooting a sharp look at the girls who were laughing. "Jackie, Kimmy, won't that be fun? There's a lot to do at the museum."

"Museums are boring," Jackie shook her head and suddenly more girls started to laugh.

"Oh, friends, museums are not boring," Mrs. Patterson frowned. "Museums are..."

"Lame-o!" Kimmy called out, bringing the entire class, even the boys who had originally been excited by the idea of a party at the museum, to laugh.

"Camille's sister owns the museum. I'm sure she'll find a way to make it very fun for all of Camille's friends," Mrs. Patterson insisted.

"I'm not Camille's friend," Jackie shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest and a few of her friends followed her lead. Mrs. Patterson was about to scold those girls and the class and begin to speak to them about respect and care when she noticed Cammy darting out of the room. She gasped.

"Camille, wait!" she ran to the door, then found herself conflicted. She very well couldn't leave an entire class of students unattended. Yet allowing Cammy to run off was also very irresponsible. As quickly as she could, she got on the phone, calling down to the office for help. When she received confirmation that the principal was on the lookout for Cammy, Mrs. Patterson turned to her class. There was a very serious look on her face, one the students had never seen before.

"My friends, I am very disappointed with what I've just seen," she said softly, but her voice was chilling. All the students who had been laughing were suddenly very silent and sinking into their chairs.


	2. The Principal's Office

Kendall stumbled into the school, feeling a little out of it, but still very determined to help out. She had been woken up that morning by Ivan, who had her cell phone in his hands. Her parents had called her with an emergency. Cammy had tried to run away from school.

Kendall didn't even question why she wasn't already at work on a Monday morning. Nor did she think to question why she had fallen asleep in the clothes she had worn the night before. She also didn't think to question why she couldn't remember getting home the night before or crawling into bed, or even saying goodnight to Heckyl. The only thought on her mind was Cammy.

She made her way into the office. Her parents were sitting with the Principal and Mrs. Patterson. Cammy was there, but she seemed to be refusing to talk to anyone. It was no wonder Kendall had been called down.

"I'll take care of it," Kendall assured the other four adults, holding the door open, asking them to leave. It was a little rude considering this was the Principal's office and not her own, but this was the only place with enough privacy. Her parents, Mrs. Patterson and the Principal got up and walked out to the office. Kendall shut the door behind them and looked to Cammy.

"I tried to run away once too," she said to the little girl, taking a seat. "They always find you, you know."

"I'm not going back to class," Cammy shook her head. Kendall invited her to sit down. Cammy took a chair, sat herself down, but crossed her arms over her chest, indicating to Kendall that this was going to be a tough conversation.

"Your birthday's in a week," Kendall said. "Does this have anything to do with that?"

"No."

"Camille..."

"They think the museum is boring," Cammy sighed. "And... what if it is?"

"My museum?" Kendall asked. Cammy looked to her and rolled her eyes.

"No, the other one."

Kendall knew there were no other museums in town. It was part of the reason hers was so successful. Cammy was being sarcastic, but at least she was talking.

"I may not be great with kids, but I have amazing staff," Kendall assured Cammy. "You know they're going to throw you an amazing party. It'll be just like Fossil Fun Day, but better, because there will be cake and pizza and your friends will be there for you."

"I don't have friends," Cammy whispered and Kendall nodded her head. She knew this; she had just been wishing it wasn't true. She hoped the more Cammy settled into school and settle in with her new family in her new home, she would start opening up to people. Kendall was making an effort to model making friends for Cammy, and hoped the little girl was taking notes. However, it seemed nothing was getting through.

"Why do you say that?" Kendall asked. Cammy shrugged her shoulders.

"No one likes me."

"That's not true," Kendall said. "I love you."

"You have to."

"I don't," Kendall chuckled. "I love you because I want to, remember. And Jon and Bella too. That's what's great about adoption. Or so I've been told. Your parents love you because they want to, not because they have to."

"I know," Cammy huffed but didn't seem to cheer up in the slightest. Kendall continued.

"Koda and Ivan like you," she said. "They've been running around town all week trying to find you the perfect present. People don't do that for people they don't like."

"I know the Rangers all like me," Cammy muttered. "But everyone at school... they hate me."

"Hate's a strong word."

"But it's true," Cammy said. "The boys say I have cooties and that I can't play with them because I'm a girl. And the girls are... well, they're mean!"

"How so?"

"They laugh at me all the time!" Cammy sighed. "They play with their dolls outside and when I bring Plesio or Lophy or even Shelbytops, they say those are boy toys and tell me I'm not allowed to play with them because if I like boy toys, I'm a boy! Shelbytops is pink!"

"Cammy..."

"I'm not a boy!" Cammy's eyes started to water. "I'm just... different. And I hate being different and I hate my class..."

"You're not different..."

"I am!" Cammy shouted. "Everyone has a mom and a dad and if they have a big brother or sister, they're not grown ups like you and Jeremy! They laughed at me last week when I told them over the holidays I played with Anna, my niece!"

"You don't have to call her your niece," Kendall shook her head. "You and Anna are the same age. You can be friends or cousins or whatever you want."

"But Mrs. Patterson asked and I said it was Jeremy's daughter. Then she asked who Jeremy was, I said it was my brother and stupid Johnny figured out that made Anna my niece."

"There's nothing wrong with Anna being your niece."

"But they laughed at me! And they laughed at me when I said I celebrated Christmas for the first time! And they laugh whenever I call Jon and Bella by their names. They always laugh when I say I like dinosaurs and I want to be a scientist like you! They always laugh!"

"I'm sorry, Cammy..."

"And they don't let me play family with them," Cammy said. "When the other girls aren't playing with their dolls, they play family and I'm not allowed to play."

"Why not?"

"Because my family is wrong."

"What?" Kendall frowned, deeply confused by this answer. Cammy nodded her head.

"They let me play once. I was the big sister, so they said I had to start dating. They told me my boyfriend was named Alex. I said I wanted a girlfriend instead and they... they said that was wrong."

Kendall clenched her fists. She had never been fond of children, mainly because she didn't know what to do with them. They were loud, energetic, and she could never keep them under control. On days she had to invite them to special events like Fossil Fun Day, she delegated most of the work with children to her employees. This year had been the exception because of Cammy.

However, Kendall had never hated kids. They were cute and sometimes funny. And they were always worth every dime she spent on events like Fossil Fun Day. They deserved to have fun and enjoy as many experiences as they could.

But the more Cammy talked, the more Kendall found herself beginning to hate this specific group of kids. It was no wonder Cammy was always alone on the playground, and no wonder she had shot down every attempt Kendall and the Fishers made to have some of her classmates over to hang out. These kids were hitting Cammy on all sides: mocking the family she loved, the interests she had, the place where she felt safest, and worse of all, who Cammy was on the inside.

"We'll ditch," Kendall suggested. Cammy looked to her, eyes wide in shock. She knew she had just tried to run away from school, but outright ditching it was wrong. Even drunk, her mother never let Cammy ditch school without reason, and would always wait until after she dropped her daughter off before she started drinking, to ensure Cammy had an education.

"Are you drunk?" Cammy asked. Kendall shook her head.

"There's no point in you going back to class today," she said. "Let's ditch and... I want to introduce you to someone."

"Who?"

"Someones, actually. You'll see when we get there," Kendall said and took her phone out of her pocket, hoping it hadn't been too long since she met her contact that this would be inappropriate. As she messaged that person, she took Cammy out of the principal's office. The Fishers, Mrs. Patterson and the Principal were waiting for news.

"I'll take Cammy for today," Kendall said, turning to the sign-in sheet in the office and signing Cammy out for the rest of the day. "I'll have her back tomorrow."

"Is there anything we need to know?" Mrs. Fisher asked.

"I'll let you know later," Kendall said. She turned to Mrs. Patterson. The teacher was eager to speak.

"I've already spoken with the class on the matter. Believe me this is not going to happen again."

"I hope so," Kendall took Cammy's hand and walked out of the school with her.


	3. People Like Us

Gia sat in her mothers' living room, watching as Vanessa fluffed the pillows on the couch for the third time. The yellow Ranger turned to her sister, cocking an eyebrow. Ryan returned the gesture, adding a little shrug to say she too was confused over why her mother was taking this visit so seriously. It wasn't like they never had guests over before.

"Mama," Ryan called, though that didn't seem to stop Vanessa's tidying for a moment. "Why you cleaning?"

"We're having company," Vanessa explained.

"Troy and Becca?" Ryan asked.

"Ms. Morgan and Cammy."

"Who?"

"Friends of mine," Gia clarified for the little girl before shifting her focus back to her mother, "And honestly, I don't think you need to do all this. Mom, the place looks fine."

"I know, but it's the first time I get to talk about this and... I want this place to appear normal."

"Mom, this is normal," Gia said and turned to Ryan to get her support. The little girl nodded her head.

"House is normal."

"No, I know that. It's just... I want this house to look like anything else Cammy's seen. So she knows, you know... that this is... normal."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have cleaned up so much," Gia chuckled. "If there's not a sock on the floor or a spill somewhere or dishes in the sink at my place, it's because the Queen's coming over."

"I'm just... nervous," Vanessa finally gave up on making sure the room was spotless and sat down on the couch. "I've never done this before."

"You be okay, mama," Ryan assured her. Vanessa smiled at her daughter.

"I hope so," she turned to Gia, "So, when did they say they were going to get here?"

"Five minutes," Gia checked the time on her phone, then looked up with a smile, "Don't worry, mom. Ryan's right, you'll be fine. Just... tell the truth."

"How much of the truth?" Vanessa asked. "Adopted Ryan because alien monsters had destroyed half the city, taking many lives. Or adopted Ryan because we love her and want the very best for her?"

"I don't know," Gia shrugged her shoulders. "The ideal is that no one knows about the Rangers, but the Rangers. Cammy could know nothing, or everything. You can always ask Ms. Morgan which version to tell her."

"I guess you're right," Vanessa said. "Though... that's really not the part that's freaking me out. She's eight. How much could she know about who she wants to date?"

Gia shrugged her shoulders, "Well, how much did you know when you were eight?"

"Huh?"

"When you were eight, what was dating to you?" Gia asked. "Did you already know you were going to marry dad?"

"Specifically, no."

"Mom..."

"Yes, I knew I would marry a man when I was eight. But I had no idea I'd fall in love with a woman."

"You want to make this normal for Cammy, just keep that in mind," Gia shrugged. "When you were eight, you knew you'd fall in love with a man. She knows she wants a girlfriend when she's older. It's no different."

"You're too smart," Vanessa huffed, glaring at her daughter playfully. Suddenly, the door opened. Vanessa felt her stomach turn until she realized it was only Emma.

"Okay, Joe and Ciara are with Jordan," she explained quickly as she made her way into the living room. Gia started to chuckle.

"Well, they better get him down for his nap on time. I don't want to go back to work to a fussy partner."

"He can handle them," Emma insisted while she rolled her eyes. She saw the look Gia was giving her and sighed, "Tiger's there too. You know the kids will be safe."

"Perfect," Gia finally smiled. Emma took a seat on the couch before having a look around. She frowned.

"Why is this place so clean?"

"It's normally this clean!" Vanessa insisted. Emma shook her head.

"No it's not! You've got a toddler," she pointed to Ryan, who was eyeing her toy chest, trying to decide if she could get away with pulling out her toys just after her mother finished cleaning.

"You remember Ms. Morgan, right?" Gia answered Emma, who nodded her head.

"Dino Charge scientist."

"Exactly. She messaged me earlier asking if she could come to town and talk with us for a bit. She remembered Ryan was adopted and how mom and dad took you in. And she said she remembered me mentioning mom had a wife."

"She wants to talk to us about all that?" Emma asked. "Shouldn't she buy us dinner first?"

"It's not for her, it's for her sister."

"She has a sister?"

"She said her sister's being teased at school for all this stuff."

"At school? How old is her sister?"

"Eight. Turning nine. And her name is Cammy."

"Ms. Morgan's got an eight year old sister?"

"Duh," Ryan muttered from near her toy chest. Emma huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"When did you get an attitude?"

Finally, the doorbell rang. Vanessa practically jumped off the couch to answer it while Gia, Emma, and Ryan slowly gathered in the front hallway. When strangers walked into her house, Ryan ducked behind Gia's legs, hoping if she hid, the strangers wouldn't be able to see her. However, Gia picked her up, taking her in her arms as she walked over to greet their guests.

"Ryan, do you remember Ms. Morgan? She owns the dinosaur museum you and Becca love to visit."

"Dinosaurs," Ryan smiled shyly, hiding her face in Gia's chest. Kendall, meanwhile, put her arms on Cammy's shoulders, introducing her to the group.

"This is Cammy. Cammy, these are some former Rangers."

"Rangers?" Cammy asked, looking up. "Really?"

"Megaforce," Emma smiled, kneeling so she was at eye level with Cammy. "You probably remember us as pirates. I was pink."

"Like Shelby," Cammy said.

"Cammy, this is Gia and Emma," Kendall introduced the little girl to the former Rangers. "That's their mother, Mrs..."

"Moran-Goodall," Vanessa said, offering her hand to Cammy. "But you can call me Vanessa."

"Okay."

"And that's Ryan, their little sister," Kendall pointed to the toddler in Gia's arms. Cammy frowned, looking to the girl who was younger then her, then to the two girls who were maybe just a little younger then Kendall.

"Sister? Really?"

"My wife and I adopted her together," Vanessa said.

"Wife?" Cammy asked. Vanessa nodded her head and her cheeks started to turn red. She had had many conversations before about her sexuality, but it was mostly with other adults. It was the first time she was having a real conversation on the matter with a little girl, and so she wasn't sure what to say.

"I am married," Vanessa confirmed. "To a woman."

"My mother," Emma smiled. "Vanessa and my mom married just about a year ago."

"But we were all a family long before that," Gia said. She set Ryan back down on her feet then pointed to the living room. "Any chance you want to hear all about it?"

Cammy seemed a bit hesitant so Kendall knelt down and smiled, briefly and quickly explaining the situation.

"Vanessa likes girls, just like you," she told her. "She and her now-wife fostered Ryan for a little bit before they adopted her. Kind of like how you were in foster care for a bit before the Fishers adopted you."

"Cool," Cammy smiled.

"Me too," Emma spoke up. "Mom and I get along now, but growing up, I spent more time with Vanessa, Gia and Joe than I did with my own parents. For a long time, Vanessa was more of a mother to me than the person I called mom."

"Kind of like us," Kendall said to Cammy. "Emma calls her mother by her first name too."

"One of them," Emma nodded. "I was really lucky that mom stepped up when she did. But even that doesn't change how I feel about Vanessa. She'll always be the woman who raised me."

"Wanna hear more about it now?" Gia asked and Cammy excitedly nodded her head.


	4. Cammy's Confidence

Cammy felt a wave of relief washed over her as she stood by the door in the Moran-Goodall home. She had never met people who were so similar to her. She thought she had with Kendall. They shared an absent father and a drunken mother. However, Cammy was more than just her parents. She was a girl who bounced from one home to another until she was finally settled. She was a girl who loved dinosaurs and wanted to learn as much as she could about them. She was a girl with a growing interest in science, and who felt the most at home when she was in the museum. She was a girl who liked to play sports with the boys, but who also wanted to play dolls with the girls.

She was a girl who liked girls; and that was okay. Every part of her was okay. It was okay to like dinosaurs, to like playing with boys, to want to play with dolls, to love museums and to like girls. It was okay for Cammy to be who she was.

It was a huge relief to the little girl. Especially since she knew she could be herself and be utterly unique, but still have people in the world who were just like her. Vanessa and her wife Claire, who had come home in the middle of the afternoon from work, were perfectly happy together. They had a great family and seemed to have a great life. They did mention getting a few odd looks from people and the challenge their faced with their son in-law's parents. However, they stood strong knowing the people who loved and cared for them accepted them.

Emma, Cammy had learned, had grown up outside her family, finding a home with people who loved and cared for her. Her parents weren't the people who gave birth to her, but rather the ones who chose to love her. When Emma explained her story, Cammy began to see Vanessa and her late husband Joe in the roles of the Fishers. Just like Vanessa and Joe, the Fishers saw a little girl who needed love and took her in, without a second thought. They put a roof over her head, made sure she had warm meals, a comfortable bed and clothes. They bought her toys and books, took her on exciting trips, even if it was just to the museum, and loved her for exactly who she was. Even on her toughest of days, when Cammy was fussy or difficult to handle, the Fishers would always care for her.

As for her interests, Cammy learned there was nothing wrong with a girl liking dinosaurs or museums. Emma had grown up loving photography and nature. She had often been teased for these passions by all her classmates except for Gia. Emma mentioned how having one person who accepted her helped her stay confident. When she said that, Cammy couldn't help but turn to Kendall, smiling softly.

Cammy had lots of people in her life now that would care for her. The Fishers were the best parents Cammy could hope for. Jeremy, from the few encounters she had with him, was a fun, caring older brother. Anna, her niece/cousin/friend had made the holidays that much more memorable for Cammy because of how close they had become. And the Rangers would always be some of Cammy's best friends.

However, through thick and thin, Kendall was always right there. Cammy didn't know the cold, aloof version of her sister, but she heard the others talking. She heard the employees at the museum call Kendall names Cammy dared not repeat. She heard the other Rangers mention how difficult it used to be just to get Kendall to give them the time of day. Even from her parents, she heard how Kendall preferred to be alone all the time, often avoiding family gatherings even on the holidays because she didn't care for people. Cammy had never seen it, but she believed it. She knew there was a cold, distant side to Kendall, and she also knew she was the reason Kendall had begun to change for the better. She knew she was the reason Kendall faced some of her biggest fears. The purple Ranger had returned home to her parents after being away for eight years, just to try and help Cammy cope with not getting adopted. Kendall fought off Fury and other monsters to keep Cammy safe, and was willing to put the safety of the energems, the responsibility she held for now over a year, in jeopardy just to ensure nothing bad happened to the little girl.

She was even opening herself up to a stranger, accepting his requests to hang out and chat over coffee, just to show Cammy there was a lot to gain by making friends. And today, Kendall had driven from Amber Beach all the way out to Angel Grove just so Cammy could meet people who were just like her.

There was nothing Kendall wouldn't do for Cammy. She was that one person Cammy needed. As long as she had Kendall, it didn't matter to her what her classmates thought of her. It didn't matter if they teased her for wanting to play dolls with Plesio, or if they thought it was wrong for her to want to have a girlfriend when they played family. It didn't matter if the boys thought she couldn't play with them because she was a girl. It didn't even matter if they thought her idea of a party in a museum was lame.

Cammy would have fun, and the people who loved her and cared for her would show up. That was all she wanted.

Nervously, Cammy reached into her bag. Mrs. Fisher had given her a few extra invitations, just in case there wasn't enough for all the kids in her class. Cammy took out the invitation and handed it to Vanessa and Claire.

"I'm having a birthday party," she said. "It's this Saturday, at the museum. We're going to have pizza and cake, and Kendall's going to tell us all about the fossils and we'll dig for bones and it's going to be really, really cool."

"That does sound like a lot of fun," Claire smiled, accepting the invitation.

"Can you come?"

"We'll see what we can do," Vanessa promised. "But I have to work; Ryan has swimming lessons and Gia's..."

"I've got to take Tiger to the park once a week to run around or she gets real fussy," Gia chuckled. Cammy smiled brightly.

"You have a cat?"

"Sorta...?"

"You can bring it! Right Kendall?"

"Uh..." Kendall wasn't sure how to answer this, remembering that by cat, Gia actually meant a tiger. It still baffled Kendall how someone could own and trust a fully grown wild cat, but the yellow Ranger seemed to make it work. Still, she doubted a tiger at a birthday party would go over well. "Pets aren't really allowed in the museum..."

"Even for my party?"

"Tell you what, kid," Gia said, kneeling before Cammy, "This week, we'll try to find you a really amazing birthday present and one way or another, we'll be sure you have it at your birthday party. That way, whether we can make it or not, you'll know we're thinking of you."

"Alright," Cammy was a bit disappointed, but her new friends seemed sincere. At least, if they did give her a present, she would know they weren't lying to her just to soften the blow of rejection. They were actually busy. Inviting a class full of third graders on the Monday before a weekend party was one thing. Inviting adults she had just befriended was another. They were likely already busy.

"We've got to get back, Cammy," Kendall said, giving the eight year old her jacket. "Head out to the car, I'll meet you there."

"Can I start it?" Cammy asked. Kendall nodded, giving her the keys. Cammy excitedly raced out to the car, thanking her new friends on the way out for their kind words.

Now that Cammy was gone, it was Kendall's turn to feel nervous. She had met everyone standing before her once already, and knew in the Ranger world, everyone was family and helped each other out. Still, coming over at the last minute, with a huge request to have them talk about some very personal details of their life wasn't something that could be repaid with a simple thanks. Kendall wasn't sure what she could do or say to let the Moran-Goodalls know how grateful she was to them.

So she reached into her purse with the intent of handing out her business card. On the back she would write out free tickets into the museum. But just as she was about to ask for a pen, Emma shook her head, taking the cards as they were.

"There's no need to thank us," she said. "We were happy to help."

"More than happy," Claire agreed. "You do for family, and as far as this Ranger stuff is concerned, we're all family."

"Still, you've done so much, I feel this is the least I can do," Kendall managed to find a pen in her purse and scribbled down the ticket information, along with her signature. It was full access to the museum and since it was her business card, the form Rangers and their family could contact her if they needed anything else. She offered a card each to Gia, Emma, Vanessa and Claire and one more to Claire for Ryan. "We're changing up our exhibits all the time, so whenever you do decide to stop by, there will be something new for you to see."

"Dinosaurs?" Ryan asked. Kendall nodded her head.

"There will be lots of dinosaurs for you to see," she promised and then remembered Ryan had visited once already with her sister and wrote up one more ticket. "For Rebecca. Let her know we'll do everything we can to accommodate for her."

"Troy," Ryan said, reminding Kendall of her brother. Claire tried to shush her. They had been happy to help Cammy and expected nothing in return. The tickets already were too much. But Kendall happily wrote up one more.

"For your brother too," she said with a smile. "And any of the other Rangers are welcome. The kids too."

"Well, thank you."

"Thank you," Kendall said, glancing over her shoulder and out the window to the car, where Cammy was sitting inside, happily looking down at her invitations, likely planning out how her party would go. "I'd hate to have her turn out like me and... it just means so much that..."

"You don't have to say it," Gia insisted. Kendall felt the need to, but her hands were getting sweaty, she was trying not to choke on her words and she knew her face was bright red because her ears were getting very warm. Being so grateful and open about the way she felt was still very uncomfortable for her.

Yet, when Gia smiled and promised her she didn't need to say anything, Kendall knew she meant it. She knew, like herself, Gia wasn't a very open person and had to appreciate the effort alone that Kendall was making. Wordlessly, the two women nodded their heads before Kendall headed out. Gia closed the door behind her and turned to her family.

"How sick would it be if after the park, I took Tiger to Cammy's birthday party?"

"No," Vanessa shook her head, causing Gia to frown.

"It's my cub! You wouldn't tell me not to take Ciara."

"Ciara won't give a bunch of eight year olds heart attacks!"

"Ryan's not afraid of Tiger."

"Ryan's a weirdo," Emma said. Ryan huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Vegetable-head."

"It's vegetarian."

"Mama!" Ryan cried out, turning to her mothers, her eyes wide with shock. "Emma say bad word!"

"It's not a... screw you, Gia!"

"That's right, Ryan, Emma did say a very bad, bad word," Gia chuckled, taking her sister from her mother's arms before making her way upstairs.

"Vegetarian is not a bad word!" Emma called after her, following Gia and Ryan up.

"Anything that doesn't let people eat bacon is horrible," Gia insisted and the mothers heard a door close, a groan, and then the start of what would be incessant knocking.

Claire turned to Vanessa, eyeing her worriedly. "You're sure you want to add another one? I don't think it's too late to back out."

"It's too late," Vanessa chuckled and started to make her way to the kitchen. "Besides, I'm starting to find the noise soothing."

"If you like this yelling and screaming, you'll be the one to tell them," Claire said. Vanessa smiled, taking her wife's hand.

"There won't be yelling and screaming, so you have a deal. I'll deliver the good news. You get to answer the inevitable _how_ question that'll immediately follow."

"Great..."


	5. The Invitation

The following day, Cammy was back in her classroom. She had her invitations in her hands but unlike the day before, she wasn't nervous or scared. She didn't even need to hear the apology Ms. Patterson made the class say to her upon her return, nor did she particularly listen to the things they were saying they had learned about respect, care and inclusion. When it was Cammy's turn to hand out the invitations, all that matter was what she had to say.

"My birthday is next week," Cammy told her classmates. "I'll be turning nine and for the very first time, I'm going to celebrate with my friends and family. On Saturday, we're having a party at the museum. My big sister is taking care of everything, and promises there will be lots of pizza, cake, games, and a really cool tour of the museum. And everyone who comes will get to take home something they find on the dig, and a souvenir from the gift shop. My parents are going to be there, and my sister, and some of my other friends. No one else needs to come, but it would be really, really cool if some of you did."

Cammy started handing out the invitations one at a time. "The party is going to start at eleven and is over at three. Your parents can call or email my parents or the museum to RSTB..."

"RSVP," Ms. Patterson corrected.

"Yeah, that," Cammy stopped handing out invitations for just a moment when she reached Kimmy and Jackie's table. They had been the ones to start making fun of her the day before as well as when Cammy first arrived at the school. She didn't care to see them at her party, nor did she really want to invite them. Still, Cammy decided to offer them a card.

It was important she do her part in trying to make friends.

"Everyone's invited," Cammy said. Then turned to her class, "And if you're buying me a present, I love dinosaurs and princesses, dolls and sports and all kinds of stuff."

She ended the distribution of the invitations with a bright smile, taking her seat proudly. As soon as she did, one boy leaned in a little nervously.

"I want to come," he told her. Cammy turned to him, a little shocked.

"Really?"

"I like dinosaurs," he nodded. "And princesses and dolls and sports are kinda cool too."

"Really?" Cammy asked again.

"Yeah. What kind of cake are you having?"

"Chocolate. It's my favourite!"

"I love chocolate cake!" he cried out excitedly. "I'll have my mom call yours as soon as I get home! I promise."

-Dino-Charge-

Kendall was finally back to work after missing a day. She didn't mind the occasional day off, especially if it was for Cammy's sake. And since the scans were still showing no sign of evil alien life on Earth, it wasn't like finding the energems was pressing anymore. Kendall could take a little more time. As for the museum, it could survive a day without her.

When she got to work, she saw her employees were busy working, just like any other day. Koda and Ivan were waiting the cafe, serving their guests with a smile. It had been tough training them to work without the support of the other Rangers. Having two employees who were hundreds and hundreds of years old was not ideal at all. However, the boys were making her proud, and getting better and better at blending into the modern world unaided.

Knowing the museum part of her job was going well, Kendall decided she would spend the day in the lab. She still had two energems to find and hoped maybe she could get a lead on them soon. However, as she stepped off the elevator and into her lab, she felt something wasn't right. She ignored the feeling; being in the lab did seem a little odd without at least one of the Rangers sitting around. When she got to her computer, though, she noticed something odd. It seemed she had logged in two nights before, well after her work hours. While that wasn't particularly uncommon, Kendall had no memory of doing so. In fact, she had been out with Heckyl that night and he had taken her straight home.

At least, she assumed he had. Now that she thought of it, she couldn't remember arriving home. She knew she had made it because she woke up in her bed the following morning but for the life of her she had no recollection of physically walking through her front door.

She picked up her phone, calling Heckyl. He answered quickly.

"Don't tell me you miss me already?" he teased her. Kendall shook her head.

"Did we come to the museum a couple of nights ago?"

"You mean after you blew the crowd away with your hidden singing talent?" Heckyl asked her. "No. You were getting pretty tired so I took you home."

"Really? Because I don't remember that."

"What do you remember?"

"Being in your car," Kendall said. "We were headed home..."

"And you were tired," Heckyl said, a light chuckle in his voice. "You don't remember getting home because you fell asleep."

"And what, you carried me up the stairs?"

"And this beast of a man and your Zandarian friend opened the door," Heckyl confirmed. "Koda and Ivan, I believe their names were. If you have any doubts, you can ask them, but they will tell you the same story I am."

"And what time was this?" Kendall asked. Her computer was telling her she had logged on just after midnight.

"Probably eleven thirty," Heckyl said. "I know I was in my bed around that time. Why do you ask?"

"I was just spacing out a bit," Kendall said and was about to end the call but Heckyl spoke.

"We can do it again, if you'd like. I'm singing tonight, and I'm sure the crowd would love to have you back."

"I won't be singing," Kendall shook her head. "But that sounds fun. Six o'clock is good."

"It's perfect. And if you're more comfortable, you can drive."

"Great," Kendall said and hung up. Then she called upstairs to the kitchen. Fortunately, it was Ivan who picked up. Despite her many attempts to teach Koda to tell time, the matter was lost on him. Ivan had found more success and so was the timekeeper between the two of them.

"Ivan, when I went out with Heckyl, what time did I come home?"

"The clock said eleven twenty-eight," Ivan told her, though there was some hesitation in his voice. Kendall chalked that up to him still learning to read time. He was good, but it wasn't second nature to him yet. "Any reason?"

"You and Koda didn't happen to come to the lab in the middle of the night, did you?"

"For what reason?"

"Just asking."

"We did not."

"Thanks," Kendall said, hanging up her phone again. It had to be a mistake. She didn't log on, and Ivan and Koda certainly did. Keeper didn't know how to use her computer, trusting his own instincts when it came to finding energems. If her computer had gone off for any reason and he felt there was something to warn her about, he would have called her down.

She furrowed her brow deeply. This was strange. She would have to get to the bottom of it, quickly, before anything else happened.


End file.
